Hydroponic Farming

[MudDoc]

I am looking at setting up a small hydroponic farm on about 1.5 rai of land, just outside Pattaya. Would appreciate any advice or information from members as to where I can buy the necessary equipment for this and any tips you may have.

[rice555]

What type?? Not all hydro suppliers in BKK carry what you might want. NFT, DFT, or bag-slab(tomato/pepper/cucumber/melon). ACK Hydrofarms, Accent(where I got my meter) Fresh Garden. Will post the address and #ph today when I get up. There is a big outfit in CM that's Dutch. They have rockwool, nutrients, and do greenhouses. From sweet peppers to strawberries. Big greenhouse setup in Pac Chong doing tomatoes and other G-H's doing melons.

I do some bag growing with cour or cubed coconut husk and rice hulls.

rice555

[rice555]

BKK

http://en.bangsaiagro.com/

http://en.bangsaiagro.com/sitelocation.asp

Bangsai Agricultural Ceter Co., Ltd.

Demonstration Farm:

180 Soi Khlonglamchiak School Yothinpattana Road,

Khlongchan Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240

Thailand

Phone: +(662) 9466056, 9466057

Fax: +(662) 9466058

http://www.ackhydrofarm.com/php/eng/index_eng.php

Accent Hydroponics 02-512-4671 109/33 Ladprao Rd. Soi 18, Latyao, Jatujak BKK 10900 Can be difficult to find the first time, has the best selection of books and magazines of all places listed!

www.dutch-greenery.com

IN C-M 02-598-4911

Hi GreenHydroponics Farm in Trat 02-337-6640 There's a place in BKK that sells this type of DFT but can't find the address how. They look like mini green houses(covered wagons without the wheels), I've been to the BKK place several times, what I like about this system is you can get a lot into a small space.It's good for greens/lettuce/herbs.

Their net pot uses a foam cube as a growing media instead of perlite or vermiculite like FG or ACK.

Netafim sells green house & hydro systems. Accent/ACK/Fresh Garden

sell NTF systems. Dutch Greenery (I think from my e-mails) does mostly rockwool slabs and perlite buckets with the strawberry. Chia Tai parent Co does G-Houses and they do sell cocopeat/bags. CT's has a big farm expo in Jan I be leave, I've been trying to make it the past few years, but something always comes up.

There is a Thai Ag Message Board that has hydro section with pictures. You can find it through www.kehakaset.com it's all in THAI.

Last 2 things, I get House Agriculture Magazine each month for the "Pictures", only 50B., but has the most info on what's going on in Thailand and lists local and international Ag shows and meeting's, and usually has an hydro articles. Last, I use www.hydro-gardens.com for a reference.

rice555

[MudDoc]

BKK

http://en.bangsaiagro.com/

http://en.bangsaiagro.com/sitelocation.asp

Bangsai Agricultural Ceter Co., Ltd.

Demonstration Farm:

180 Soi Khlonglamchiak School Yothinpattana Road,

Khlongchan Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240

Thailand

Phone: +(662) 9466056, 9466057

Fax: +(662) 9466058

http://www.ackhydrofarm.com/php/eng/index_eng.php

Accent Hydroponics 02-512-4671 109/33 Ladprao Rd. Soi 18, Latyao, Jatujak BKK 10900 Can be difficult to find the first time, has the best selection of books and magazines of all places listed!

www.dutch-greenery.com

IN C-M 02-598-4911

Hi GreenHydroponics Farm in Trat 02-337-6640 There's a place in BKK that sells this type of DFT but can't find the address how. They look like mini green houses(covered wagons without the wheels), I've been to the BKK place several times, what I like about this system is you can get a lot into a small space.It's good for greens/lettuce/herbs.

Their net pot uses a foam cube as a growing media instead of perlite or vermiculite like FG or ACK.

Netafim sells green house & hydro systems. Accent/ACK/Fresh Garden

sell NTF systems. Dutch Greenery (I think from my e-mails) does mostly rockwool slabs and perlite buckets with the strawberry. Chia Tai parent Co does G-Houses and they do sell cocopeat/bags. CT's has a big farm expo in Jan I be leave, I've been trying to make it the past few years, but something always comes up.

There is a Thai Ag Message Board that has hydro section with pictures. You can find it through www.kehakaset.com it's all in THAI.

Last 2 things, I get House Agriculture Magazine each month for the "Pictures", only 50B., but has the most info on what's going on in Thailand and lists local and international Ag shows and meeting's, and usually has an hydro articles. Last, I use www.hydro-gardens.com for a reference.

rice555

Thanks for the advice. I was already looking at the Bangsai website, but being totally new to hydroponics thought I might get some help and hints from all the experienced people here.

[JungleBiker]

BKK

http://en.bangsaiagro.com/

http://en.bangsaiagro.com/sitelocation.asp

Bangsai Agricultural Ceter Co., Ltd.

Demonstration Farm:

180 Soi Khlonglamchiak School Yothinpattana Road,

Khlongchan Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240

Thailand

Phone: +(662) 9466056, 9466057

Fax: +(662) 9466058

http://www.ackhydrofarm.com/php/eng/index_eng.php

Accent Hydroponics 02-512-4671 109/33 Ladprao Rd. Soi 18, Latyao, Jatujak BKK 10900 Can be difficult to find the first time, has the best selection of books and magazines of all places listed!

www.dutch-greenery.com

IN C-M 02-598-4911

Hi GreenHydroponics Farm in Trat 02-337-6640 There's a place in BKK that sells this type of DFT but can't find the address how. They look like mini green houses(covered wagons without the wheels), I've been to the BKK place several times, what I like about this system is you can get a lot into a small space.It's good for greens/lettuce/herbs.

Their net pot uses a foam cube as a growing media instead of perlite or vermiculite like FG or ACK.

Netafim sells green house & hydro systems. Accent/ACK/Fresh Garden

sell NTF systems. Dutch Greenery (I think from my e-mails) does mostly rockwool slabs and perlite buckets with the strawberry. Chia Tai parent Co does G-Houses and they do sell cocopeat/bags. CT's has a big farm expo in Jan I be leave, I've been trying to make it the past few years, but something always comes up.

There is a Thai Ag Message Board that has hydro section with pictures. You can find it through www.kehakaset.com it's all in THAI.

Last 2 things, I get House Agriculture Magazine each month for the "Pictures", only 50B., but has the most info on what's going on in Thailand and lists local and international Ag shows and meeting's, and usually has an hydro articles. Last, I use www.hydro-gardens.com for a reference.

rice555

Hi Rice555,

That's some useful info you posted, thanks for that. I also like to buy the Thai ag magazines and look at the pictures! I must try learn to read Thai one day.

I don't have any firsthand experience of hydroponics but would like to try one day - especialy for cut flowers. I'd like to try using local media like coir and rice husks. Growers in western countries are now trying these as alternatives to rockwool, peat, perlite, etc, so since we have these materials on our doorstep I think it makes more sense then importing stuff from the west.

JB

[JungleBiker]

I am looking at setting up a small hydroponic farm on about 1.5 rai of land, just outside Pattaya. Would appreciate any advice or information from members as to where I can buy the necessary equipment for this and any tips you may have.

Hi MudDoc,

I think 1.5 rai could produce a lot of lettuce, etc, so I hope you have researched your market. I have a friend who did something similar but ended up just supplying her own restaurant.

JB.

[MudDoc]

I am looking at setting up a small hydroponic farm on about 1.5 rai of land, just outside Pattaya. Would appreciate any advice or information from members as to where I can buy the necessary equipment for this and any tips you may have.

Hi MudDoc,

I think 1.5 rai could produce a lot of lettuce, etc, so I hope you have researched your market. I have a friend who did something similar but ended up just supplying her own restaurant.

JB.

Have a sister-in-law with all the contacts I need for all the major restaraunts in Pattaya. She is presently checking this out for me, as to what is required and how much they are will to pay for it, so I can make a more informed decision. The hydroponics farm, is at this stage, in it's infancy. I have had the land now for around 8 years, without doing anything with it. I live in another home. Will need to build a wall around the proerty, drill a water bore, and build a small house for the person who will actually do the "growing" to live in and "protect" the crops from "thieves". With the research done so far, I'm looking at around 1.5 million baht as an outlay, but expect to make that back with-in 2 years, then everything will be profit. Plan on starting small and building it up as we go.

Muddoc

[rice555]

Hello MudDoc, have you decided on the NTF or the DFT system? Each type has there pro's and con's.

I don't know if you got this link off the DFT site? http://www.kmitl.ac.th/hydro/

Click on the top row, R/H NFT picture. A friend of mine grows in a 2.5" white PVC pipe system like this by Chi Am. The stand is made from pre slotted "L" angle you can get at most building supply store's. The PVC(2 1/2") is made in BKK, but you have to make the cup holes. On cup size holes, of the 3 major types you can get are, the ones from Bangsai that use the foam cube media, are smaller and will fall through ACK/Access/F-G NTF tubes. The other black net pot are taller and larger in dia. The green ones come in a break-apart sheet, look like a plug flat, are faster and easier to handle than single cups. ACK uses the green ones. For small fittings and tubing try; www.superproducts.com has a catalog(PDF) in English, also great for dripirrigation parts, LDPE and HDPE fittings, filters and ventury fertilizer injectors.

He used a 30-50L.(?) blue barrel for the nutrient tank, buried in the ground(keeps nut's cooler) and a JUN Power Head HX-5000 for the pump. The rest is the growing and their is a learning curve if you haven't grown with hydro. Forgot, the 2 1/2" white PVC is flared on one end, so you don't need couplers/sleeves.

If you haven't grown before, I suggest that you get a 2-4M NTF and a smaller of the DFT systems and give them a test run. See which one you like the best.(for you) You can always use one for a nursery. On the link page, you can see close spacing nursery systems, don't you need them before grow-out.

If you haven't been, go to BKK and go to Bangsai and Accent and look at their systems in operation. These are the two that are more ENGLISH speaking friendly.

1. DFT, less plumbing, but more electric and more tanks to check EC and top off.

2. NTF, more plumbing, only need wire to the pump and maybe metering/dosing system. At Access, there nutrient tank also has a backup gas pump if the power goes off to keep the nutrients flowing. An hour in the sun and no nutrients, cooked greens and 60+ days behind. Get the CD from Bangsai to show your workers, if the can't grasp the movie, get someone who asks questions, an UN-Thai trait.

You still may need shade cloth and misting in Pattaya

Take Care, rice555

Hello JungleBiker, if you grew carnations in cour slabs in a G-H in the north you could make some money.

Take Care, rice555

[JungleBiker]

Hello JungleBiker, if you grew carnations in cour slabs in a G-H in the north you could make some money.

Take Care, rice555

Hello Rice555,

Thanks for the tip. Actually the place I am interested to grow flowers is on the Bolovens Plateau in the south of Laos not far from Ubon Ratchathani. Land is 1,300 meters high. Good roads all the way to Bangkok and also flights from Pakse to Bangkok. Regarding the carnations - I assume you know about this because someone is already doing this - if so, can you recommend a place I could go to in the north to see how they are doing it? Also, do you know if there is a supplier of good quality planting materials (e.g. rooted cuttings) for carnations in Thailand or would I have to import them? (I have contacts of foreign suppliers but it would be a lot less hassle if I could get plants locally).

Thanks again.

JB.

[rice555]

Hello JungleBiker, from what I can recall, most carnations grown in LOS are from CM area and they are not the big(2") ones. The bigger one's here are imports from MY. Seed/plants here, don't know. I tried some a dew years back with no luck, I think it was hot season. I was looking for seed through www.seedquest.com and Green House magazine www's adds and some other hiding places and ZIP. www.stokesseed.com has sees for 20"er's. AFM in CM sells flower seed, but do not show carnations. About 6 years back, there was a home show at The Mall Korat and AFM had a booth, I picked up some 288 cell plug flats from them, they are what most plug sellers start carnations in. For a look-see try www.plugconnection.com . Wikipeda had link for growing.

I don't know anything about nutrient requirement's for flower's, I just used lettuce nuts for tomatoes and peppers till ACK in BKK got grow & bloom(fruit), I still think they are the only one in BKK. Looking at Bangsai's site yesterday, they show they have "micro-nutrient", had the wife call to make sure, it micro-nutrient"s".

Dutchgreenery in CM may have info on flower nutrients or may have nutrients. I know they have more than for lettuce.

I have all the makings to make my own, except the micro-nutrients. I've was having problems locating the micro's in LOS. Singapore has a hydro store that carries all the makings and trimmings. I was going to order Rexilon(x or g)(from Nobel) which is a micro mix that is chelated elements except the moly. Saves space and time. You can adjust if needed with a single micro. Sing also is big on aqucaulture, using the fish tank water for the plant nutrients and the growing beds or NTF tubs act as a bio-filter for cleaning the water for the fish.

Another option for growing media is Hydrotron, grow rocks. You use them in a larger net pot to anchor the roots instead of cour/rockwool. I got 10 BIG net pots that hold 3Lt's that fit over the top of a 5Gal bucket to make a recirculating system. Grow rocks come in 2 different sizes, clean and use again.

Meters, get a good EC meter, I like my Accent SalTesta, my friend likes Hanna<sp>, and his wife likes the one from Fresh Gardens. Get a pH test kit, not a meter, buy a spare EC meter instead. I don't make pH adjustments to my nutrients, the water is good here, but always check.

You should be able to grow in a 4x4x8 black poly bag if using cour or mix.You could use larger bags and put more plants per bag. You can do a run to waste W or W/O waste collection. W, make a 1M wide trench on slope ,plastic lined filled with rock or gravel a few inches thick. Grow bags on top of the rocks. Make a drainage to a sump, use sump water to water garden.

I think its www.tctthainet.com that carries 1M and 2M wide rolls of 4"X4" netting for plant support. Used flat to keep them from bending and breaking, SOP for long stem flowers. They have clips to fasten sheeting, netting or shade cloth to pipe and clips to hold fabric when using cable.

Nutrient system, use a & b tank, batch tank and pump. LDPE supply lines with dripper/spaghetti/drip stake?

Supper Products drippers are 1/2 the cost of Netafim or Nann Dan and can be taken apart and cleaned, the others are toast. It's best if you can use a repeat cycle timer or other fine adjustable timer, nutrients CO$T and you want to make not lose. Green Air makes a good RCT,need from UK,OZ or NZ if Laos is V220??

Another option is Rain8, but you need a full time computer(24/7) to run it. Old laptops work good as you can use a solar charger for the battery, even run it off a car battery and not need a power line.

Of all the info on nutrients I've run across, Nutron 2000 is a software program that is on my list to get. It also besides hydro will do dirt mixes.(around $150.us)

Today is my dirt farming day, blend the tray substrate and cour, fill and start 360 tomatillos.

rice555

[MudDoc]

Hello JungleBiker, from what I can recall, most carnations grown in LOS are from CM area and they are not the big(2") ones. The bigger one's here are imports from MY. Seed/plants here, don't know. I tried some a dew years back with no luck, I think it was hot season. I was looking for seed through www.seedquest.com and Green House magazine www's adds and some other hiding places and ZIP. www.stokesseed.com has sees for 20"er's. AFM in CM sells flower seed, but do not show carnations. About 6 years back, there was a home show at The Mall Korat and AFM had a booth, I picked up some 288 cell plug flats from them, they are what most plug sellers start carnations in. For a look-see try www.plugconnection.com . Wikipeda had link for growing.

I don't know anything about nutrient requirement's for flower's, I just used lettuce nuts for tomatoes and peppers till ACK in BKK got grow & bloom(fruit), I still think they are the only one in BKK. Looking at Bangsai's site yesterday, they show they have "micro-nutrient", had the wife call to make sure, it micro-nutrient"s".

Dutchgreenery in CM may have info on flower nutrients or may have nutrients. I know they have more than for lettuce.

I have all the makings to make my own, except the micro-nutrients. I've was having problems locating the micro's in LOS. Singapore has a hydro store that carries all the makings and trimmings. I was going to order Rexilon(x or g)(from Nobel) which is a micro mix that is chelated elements except the moly. Saves space and time. You can adjust if needed with a single micro. Sing also is big on aqucaulture, using the fish tank water for the plant nutrients and the growing beds or NTF tubs act as a bio-filter for cleaning the water for the fish.

Another option for growing media is Hydrotron, grow rocks. You use them in a larger net pot to anchor the roots instead of cour/rockwool. I got 10 BIG net pots that hold 3Lt's that fit over the top of a 5Gal bucket to make a recirculating system. Grow rocks come in 2 different sizes, clean and use again.

Meters, get a good EC meter, I like my Accent SalTesta, my friend likes Hanna<sp>, and his wife likes the one from Fresh Gardens. Get a pH test kit, not a meter, buy a spare EC meter instead. I don't make pH adjustments to my nutrients, the water is good here, but always check.

You should be able to grow in a 4x4x8 black poly bag if using cour or mix.You could use larger bags and put more plants per bag. You can do a run to waste W or W/O waste collection. W, make a 1M wide trench on slope ,plastic lined filled with rock or gravel a few inches thick. Grow bags on top of the rocks. Make a drainage to a sump, use sump water to water garden.

I think its www.tctthainet.com that carries 1M and 2M wide rolls of 4"X4" netting for plant support. Used flat to keep them from bending and breaking, SOP for long stem flowers. They have clips to fasten sheeting, netting or shade cloth to pipe and clips to hold fabric when using cable.

Nutrient system, use a & b tank, batch tank and pump. LDPE supply lines with dripper/spaghetti/drip stake?

Supper Products drippers are 1/2 the cost of Netafim or Nann Dan and can be taken apart and cleaned, the others are toast. It's best if you can use a repeat cycle timer or other fine adjustable timer, nutrients CO$T and you want to make not lose. Green Air makes a good RCT,need from UK,OZ or NZ if Laos is V220??

Another option is Rain8, but you need a full time computer(24/7) to run it. Old laptops work good as you can use a solar charger for the battery, even run it off a car battery and not need a power line.

Of all the info on nutrients I've run across, Nutron 2000 is a software program that is on my list to get. It also besides hydro will do dirt mixes.(around $150.us)

Today is my dirt farming day, blend the tray substrate and cour, fill and start 360 tomatillos.

rice555

Hi Rice555,

Thanks very much for all the valuable information. Will be making a trip up to BKK to Bangsai next time I'm back in LOS, around mid December. That's when we plan on doing a lot more investigation and preparation for the "farm". You have definitely helped.

[JungleBiker]

Hello JungleBiker, from what I can recall, most carnations grown in LOS are from CM area and they are not the big(2") ones. The bigger one's here are imports from MY. Seed/plants here, don't know. I tried some a dew years back with no luck, I think it was hot season. .....

.... the info on nutrients I've run across, Nutron 2000 is a software program that is on my list to get. It also besides hydro will do dirt mixes.(around $150.us)

Today is my dirt farming day, blend the tray substrate and cour, fill and start 360 tomatillos.

rice555

Hello Rice555,

Thanks for the advice and links, etc. Very helpful! I hope I get around to putting it into action soon and when I do I hope you won't mind if I come back to you with some specific questions.

Regarding the carnations, I may be mistaken but what I understand is that for cut flowers the varieties are usually propagated vegetatively (via tissue culture and cuttings) not by seed. The seed varieties are for bedding plants. Of course importing seeds is easier than live plants hence the reason I was hoping there may already be a local supplier of plants (for growing cut flowers). Anyway, it looks like the 2inch blooms could be the ones to produce so I will search for plants of those.

Thanks again. Much appreciated.

JB.

Edited November 26, 2007 by JungleBiker

[rice555]

Hello MudDoc, there is a book called "Hydroponic Lettuce Production" I didn't get because I didn't grow it, but it's suppose to be good. In the same series there is 2 more, peppers and a tomato one. If you are not in LOS, go to a hydro store and look around, ask what they recommend for a EC meter, things here not cheap here.

On using the 2.5" white PVC pipe over the NTF tube is that it's imported, their is a 30% duty on plastic products imported.

The Bangsai DFT is nice system, a few years back, they had a special at BKK. Buy a system and the gave you a "years supply of seed and nutrients". But do shop around and look at NTF and DFT systems. If you want to do 1.5 rai, you'll want some automation and the DFT, each unit has it's own tank to look after.

take care rice555

[rice555]

Hello JungleBiker, I tried to check on the difference on seed or cuttings, but my monitor went poof, and off to the govt land office. The wife(I) just added 3.5 rai to our place 12K from Pi Mai, about 1 month back, our house(to be finished someday) was the only thing above water, are land and the 3.5 were "flooded".

Back to the carnations, I really never looked fully in growing them, but I thought that they were started from seed. They may buy cuttings like buying plugs for starts. Some carnations have short stems and some long, I thought they just used the long stem more in the floral business, and short & long in home gardening. If you grow in cour, you need to change your nutrient mix form he one for perlite/rockwool with veges, you may with flowers to.

Are you going to grow outdoors or film toped net house? Don't forget the yellow sticky cards, make your own with yellow plastic cardboard and vaseline and dish soap or a spray can of Mag-net 02-332-4227 BKK.

Take Care rice555

[longfan]

thanks a lot rice555 for all those helpfull information

i plan to grow tomato in green house (plastic, net) with coco peat

i am looking for tomato hybrid seed !! Do you know a provider in thailand???

Some advice will be helpfull !!!

i don't know about carnation but here in petchaboon they grow up roses under green house with hydro

50 bath for one rose !!

[rice555]

Hello longfan, the place in CM is the only place I know of in LOS that has seed for large fruit, most other sources have nothing over 130-40 grm.. Their maybe, but I don't bother looking. I'm from the states and I use online to order to friends house, some way it makes it here. My #1 is Tomato Grower Supply in FL, they have a good selection of tomatoes, peppers, chillies and eggplant. They sale bulk, but not online. It was $10. to have them mail a catalog here. Other dealers are Stokes, Harris, Seed Savers Exchange, Willhite and Fedco for untreated seed.

Except for the black's and a special few heirlooms , I only grow Det. not Ind. Ind's take more work as I grow outside and there is a lot more heat set Det's. Here's some I've had work good. BHN-189, BHN-444 and 640. Harris Moran- Solar Fire(will try to post pix of last S-F crop), Creole, Floralina, Florida 91, Health Kick Hyb (which is 50% higher in lycopene than "most" tomatoes), Heartland, Heinz 1439, Homestead 24F, Kewalo, Momotaro, Porters Pride, Shady Lady(big in Calif.), Sioux and Super Sioux, Solar Set, Sun Master, Tomande, Super Bush and Mexico. I left off the "VFN" ect. and Hyb. to save time, some are Ind. but most Det., these are what I've grown by hydro in LOS, a few in dirt to. Paste tomatoes: Classica, La Roma II, Principe Borghese(the real thing for sun dried tomatoes), Victoria Supreme, Viva Italia(the package from FL said "product of Thailand" also my Serrano del Sol's and Fairy Tale eggplant).

For cherry, I like Black Cherry from TGS.

For nutrients for cour, read this: http://www.cocopeat.com.au/technical/hydro...hydroponics.asp

and : http://www.vgrove.com/support/growbags.html

I use hangers and clips off a wire for support for all tomato, Det & Ind, eggplant and chillies and peppers.

Besides buckets and black poly bags, I tried white on black 10" & 12" poly NTF tube, it's like a slab bags, I found a place in Portland OR that sold by the FT. as I wanted to try, but a roll was more than I needed and the shipping cost was to much. It does work much better than bags/buckets outside and doesn't fill up with rain water.

Again, of the seed co's in LOS, Known You Seed Co in CM shows big tomatoes in there O/L catalog, but don't ship them to LOS. My ag store in Korat tried to order, but they said no have. They do show a long white egg new this year, looks nice.

At 2 of the stores here in Korat that sell hydro "no spray" cantaloupe and Gala for Bt.80-120 each, can you tell me why people want to break there back growing watermelons? Even if you only get 1/3 the retail.

take care rice555

[JungleBiker]

Hello JungleBiker, I tried to check on the difference on seed or cuttings, but my monitor went poof, and off to the govt land office. The wife(I) just added 3.5 rai to our place 12K from Pi Mai, about 1 month back, our house(to be finished someday) was the only thing above water, are land and the 3.5 were "flooded".

Back to the carnations, I really never looked fully in growing them, but I thought that they were started from seed. They may buy cuttings like buying plugs for starts. Some carnations have short stems and some long, I thought they just used the long stem more in the floral business, and short & long in home gardening. If you grow in cour, you need to change your nutrient mix form he one for perlite/rockwool with veges, you may with flowers to.

Are you going to grow outdoors or film toped net house? Don't forget the yellow sticky cards, make your own with yellow plastic cardboard and vaseline and dish soap or a spray can of Mag-net 02-332-4227 BKK.

Take Care rice555

Hello Rice555,

Thanks again for being so generous in sharing information.

When I get around to it, I will grow in greenhouses because of the high rainfall (around 4,000mm per year) which would probably damage the flowers (with diseases). In case you are interested, here are the main breeders/suppliers of carnation cuttings for cut flower production:

www.kooij.nl

www.hilverda.nl

I already contacted the first company and they don't have any distributor in Thailand but said they could supply cuttings direct to me. The big flowered carnations are known in the trade as standards.

I got the above contacts form the 2006-2007 Source Book from Floraculture International www.floracultureintl.com They produce a monthly magazine that is available free to commercial growers and once a year they also issue the Source Book (also free).

I once got hold of a copy of an Aussie magazine Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses which I think looks very good because it is aimed at commercial growers rather than gardeners. Their web site is: www.practicalhydroponics.com

I have a background in horticulture but not specifically in hydroponics hence I know I have much to learn from someone like you.

Thanks again.

Take care,

JB.

[JungleBiker]

thanks a lot rice555 for all those helpfull information

i plan to grow tomato in green house (plastic, net) with coco peat

i am looking for tomato hybrid seed !! Do you know a provider in thailand???

Some advice will be helpfull !!!

i don't know about carnation but here in petchaboon they grow up roses under green house with hydro

50 bath for one rose !!

Hi Longfan,

You might also want to try this seed company http://www.eastwestseed.com/product_main.htm

Good luck,

JB.

[longfan]

hello guys

those links are really usefull information for me

i found all i wanted for my grren house

i am just looking for an EC and PH meter (Hana) and ready to go

Rice555 did you really grow all those cultivar here in thailand??? ??

Your idea to grow cantaloupe sounds good to me !! i will give it a try

thanks a lot guys

[Gary A]

There's a farang growing nothing but hydroponic lettuce. He is on the wrong side of Sukhumvit near Satahip. Kind of hard to find. It is probably four or five kilometers east of the highway.

[kbvicar]

I'm so glad I found this forum and hope someone here can help me. I have tried using coconut coir from local nurseries (Chonburi, Chantaburi and Trat) for both soiless and hydroponic applications. All the coco seems to have LARGE amounts of salt in the mix. I have tried many times to wash and soak the coco to remove the sodium but can never remove it. My friend gave me his EC meter and it shows a PPM of more than 1200 when I test the "washed" coco.

Does anyone know where to purchase coco coir that has benn treated to remove the salt??? I have located a distributor in Australia but the costs to Thailand are astronomical.

Thanks

[email protected]

[rice555]

Hello longfan, those are the tomatoes that did well, a lot more didn't. Remember I don't grow in a net/green

house, so I can't control the environment they grow in. I do everything by hand, that means feeding(watering) them 3 times a day. I won't go through all the things you can read about on the Net or in books about care, there's a hands on learning curve, like extra waterings(water only or lower EC nutrient's) when it's HOT.

Don't waste money on an PH meter, buy a match the color Bt.160. one at a aquarium shop. You will find that the you don't need to check them often unless you go BIG SCALE. I have the Up & Down I bought 6 years ago, never used it. If your water supply you make your mix from is OK, and you check your mix and discharge and it's OK, you don't need the meter, it won't change that much, I check every month or two. I've only had 50

plants growing at time, so yours may be different.

Tonight the had on Ch9(Thai TV) a ag program about CM and showed hydro/greenhouse tomatoes being grown and processed, and soil grown green's and carrots.

Take Care rice555

[rice555]

Hello JungleBiker, the sites look nice, but flower growing is way beyond any of my plans. You can make more $$$ per Sq. Ft. growing flowers than veg's, but like to eat things.

The new issue of House AG Mag has a big picture story of the 2007 Taipei Int. Flower Show, a couple of stories on hydro(nice picture of hydro/GH sweet peppers in CM. Chiataigrop has a "promation on nethouses starting at Bt.300. @ sq.meter. One on raising plug tray chillies and one on coffee.

I ran across this, I don't know if anybody else has posted it, but it may help when there is a language problem when you need a Thai/Eng on chem and fert products. Its a PDF.

http://www.customs.go.th/UploadFile/Analyse/G0904002.pdf

Access in BKK has Practical Hydroponics & GH magazine and 1-2 years back issues and the only place I've found it, if anybody knows of another source here in LOS, speak up.

Are you planning to bye slabs or make your own? Have you looked at an Eldar Shany to control?

Take Care rice555

[rice555]

Hello kbvicar, you have to go inland. I got two bags on the way home(Bt.75 ea) here in Korat and don't have that problem. My friend by Chi Am had the same problem.

Sea water is cheap, you live close and it's hard to find cour washed in fresh water.

rice555

[kbvicar]

Thanks rice, now I have the same opinion. I'm wondering if there are "flushing agents" available here??? Gen Hydro and Botanicare in USA sell Clearex and Floraclean to remove salt and fertilizer residue from hydro mediums. Anyone???

Another question I posted in another forum... I bought some "EX-M" (extra microorganisms) recently and my plants love it. Their website (www.ex-m.net) is down so no info there. Anyone know what's in this stuff and what strength to use per liter of water for potted plants??? Thanks

[rice555]

Hello steve, these are the net pots used by "most" all of the salad/greens hydro growers in Thailand

The green one and the large black use perlite, vermiculite or a mix of the two. The small cup uses a foam cube, it comes in precut sheets with slit for the seed.

This is what I use for a pH meter.

Tomato nutrients(fruit) for my crop in progress. A-B kit to make 500 lt. is Bt.750. + bt.100. shipping. Lettuce/greens nutrient's may be cheaper, more Co's have it.

Large net pots for a recirculating system. A work in "slow" progress.

rice555 Our first 100F today here, this year.

[Maizefarmer]

I am looking at setting up a small hydroponic farm on about 1.5 rai of land, just outside Pattaya. Would appreciate any advice or information from members as to where I can buy the necessary equipment for this and any tips you may have.

AT LAST: a member who has his head screwed on correctly.

Can't think of a cultivation method that is more productive per square meter than hydropoincs and its variations.

[guyshown]

Has any one farmed pak kanaa(sorry dont know the english name) by the means of hydroponics? I do not have available the pre mixed nutrients how would i find out the chemical ratio for the solutions?

I am thinking of using the reservoir method with the plants being suspended by floating foam. How much room should i allow for the root growth?

This will be an experiment at first to see if I can make it work and learn from the experiment.

cheers guyshown

[rice555]

Hello guyshown, YES you can grow it and you can also do banana and papaya. If you go to the 3rd post on this thread for links, you will see it growing at Bangsai I'm preaty sure. The small netpot with the foam cube will work, it's what they use.

rice555

[rice555]

Hello again guyshown, just had a fer words with my other half and was informed that Crown Plaza #2 in Korat, in there hydroponic food area has it, which means they use the green net pot and perlite. The other half says it taste's much better than the other they sell. Also no spray!!

rice555